Learning To Love Again
by Marie Phantom
Summary: AU When a girl is found pregnant and alone at the scene of a crime, it is up to Sesshoumaru and the rest to protect her from her memories and her past. SessRin, InuKag, SanMir, KougAyam
1. Prologue

**A/N This is my first Inuyasha fanfiction, so be gentle. Well, here goes!!**** This is to clarify. There are such things a demons and they are accepted into society.**

Prologue

Suki cried out as she was thrown into the wall opposite the door. The man sneered down at her and dusted his hands off before slamming the door and cutting the light off. Suki hugged her arms around each her small body and glanced around to see what she could. The walls were grimy with dust and other things and she almost gagged because of the smell. It smelled as though something had died in here.Suki whimpered and crouched down as she leaned against the wall.

She had been taken from the convenience store as her mother shopped around for food. Suki had wondered over to the sweet section when her hand was grasped tightly by a tall man with a cap pulled low over his face. She had tried to call for help but the man had clapped a wadded cloth of something over her face and she fell asleep. Suki had woken up in the back seat of the mans car.

Suki let a few tears trail down her face. She was scared and she wanted her mummy. She didn't like being kept in this cold place. That man had stripped her of all of her clothing, and she was naked as the day she was born.

Suki started when she heard a shuffling noise come from the corner. She whimpered again and hugged herself tighter. Suki closed her eyes and prayed for her mummy.

A pair of gently hand unfolded her and she felt herself being drawn onto a cold lap. She shivered, but the arms hugged the small girl tighter and started to stroke her hair. Suki waited until she had calmed down then she looked up at the person who held her.

A pair of large brown eyes looked back at her from a thin pale face. A mass of black greasy hair tumbled down her back and she was trembling. The girl was tin, very thin and she also was naked. She skin was very pale, and she too was shaking. Despite her size, she appeared to be 17.

Suki glanced at the girl and then buried her face into her shoulder. The girl shuffled to a small wad of rags in the corner and stuffed the little girl under them. She then curled her body around hers and hugged her.

Suki turned around and stared into those huge brown eyes. She asked, "What is your name?"

The girl frowned and pointed at Suki. "My name is Suki Fuyu. What is your name?"

The girl moved a bit and pulled out a wad of cardbord. She smoothed this over and handed it to Suki. Suki read on word on it in clumsy childish handwriting. _Rin_.

"Your name is Rin?" Suki asked. Rin nodded and lay down. Suki asked another question. "How long have you been here?"

Rin held up ten fingers. Suki gasped and started to cry again. Rin frowned and held the child closely to her, warding off the chill. Suki cried herself to sleep. She was only 7, she should not be kidnapped.

Rin also cried herself to sleep, as she had done every night for the past 10 years.


	2. Chapter1

**AN Right introduction to the rest of the characters here. Do not be disappointed, I will try to make them as in character as possible, but please do not flame me if I get something slightly wrong.**

Chapter 1

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

'_That bloody phone!'_ thought Inuyasha Takahashi as he dragged himself out of bed and out of the warmth of his wife's arms to get the slim sliver cordless phone that sat at the opposite end of the bedroom. He kissed his wife on the nose and then retreated to bathroom to answer the phone. He glanced at the caller ID and groaned. Kouga. That bloody wolf didn't know when to leave them alone. Sighing, he hit the green button and spoke.

"Yes?"

"_Dog turd! How's it going? You still treat Kagome well?"_ Inuyasha sighed.

"Yes, she's fine. What do you want? It's 5 in the morning!"

"_Got a case for the Dog Squad. You got your fax on?"_

Inuyasha checked the red light. "Yep it's on. Fax me the info and I will call the others."

"_Right. Here you are. Call me when they all get there, I need to speak to you about this case."_

"Yeah, yeah. Just get off the phone."

"_Right. See you in two hours, dos turd."_ And with that, the phone went dead.

Inuyasha sighed again and stepped out of the bathroom. He made his way to the living room, where that fax machine was printing off a piece of paper. He picked it up and read it. His eyes widened.

He bolted back to the bedroom and nuzzled Kagome awake. He watched as her grey blue eyes opened and she sleepily turned around to look at him.

"Hhmm? What is it Inuyasha?" she asked as she sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"We have got a case."

Kagome suddenly looked much more awake. "A good one?" she asked as she took slipped out of bed and rummaged around for her underwear. Inuyasha pulled the sweater over his head and allowed his dog ears to twist themselves back into place. He pulled his long sliver hair out of the sweater and he turned his golden eyes back onto his wife.

"Oh yes."

"Right, are we still betting?" Kagome asked as she secured her jeans and quickly pulled a brush through her long black hair.

"I think Shippo will get here first." said Inuyasha as they both made their way downstairs to the station, which their flat was conveniently on top of.

"Nope. Sesshoumaru will be here first."

"You _always_ say Sesshoumaru." Inuyasha whined as he switched on the power. The room blazed into life as all of the computers and lights turned on.

"Because I am always right. 50 yen?" Kagome called as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Yep. Hold on, I just need to fax this to everyone." Inuyasha said as he slipped the piece of paper into the fax machine and pressed all of the buttons. The machine hummed into life and he sighed, rubbing the cramp in his neck. A graceful hand appeared in front of him, holding a cup of green tea and he took it gratefully, smiling up at his wife.

"Now, all we have to do is wait."

INUYASHA

The Dog Squad started off as a group of four. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha, the two inuyoukai brothers and sons of Inutaisho. Miroku, a monk turned cop from the mountains and Shippo, a young fox demon from the South. They had all met at the same training centre, and, when they had all graduated, they had all went on to form their own small band of freelance cops. The name, the Dog Squad, came from the media, after one spectacular arrest. The Dog Squad was only called when the police had a case that they simply could not figure out.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha already knew about the police and how it worked, because their father had been Chief of Police. But he had been killed on a raid, and so the family had turned to Sesshoumaru for their help. He was actually Inuyashas' half brother, and a full demon, whilst Inuyasha was a hanyou with a human mother. Sesshoumaru had taken care of the young Inuyasha and his mother until she had died from cancer, and Sesshoumaru was left to care for Inuyasha on his own. As a result of this, the two brothers had become extremely close, and they had started off the business.

Inuyasha had met Kagome when he was sent to protect her after her sister had been killed. Kagome and her twin sister Kikyo had been prostitutes who had taken to the street after their family had been killed in a car crash. Not wanting to go to a home, the 16 year olds had taken to the streets and were selling their bodies. Kikyo had been killed by a drunk client, and he was coming after Kagome. The police had contacted Inuyasha to help them, and he had taken the young girl under his wing.

Inuyasha had been callous at first, not really wanting the responsibility of another in his life, when his brother was suffering from major depression. But the girl had warmed her way into his heart, and before the year was up, the murderer had been caught and jailed, and Inuyasha and Kagome had been married. Sesshoumaru, now out of his depression, had been best man. That night, Kagome had shown Inuyasha what she could do, and Inuyasha had marked Kagome. She would now live as long as he lived. They had taken up residence in the old flat above the station, and they now made it their duty to warn the others about any jobs.

INUYASHA

Sesshoumaru shot up in bed as the sound of ringing reached his ears. His hand grasped his sword, Toukijin and he crept out of bed and looked down at the fax machine. His breathing returned to normal and his eyes returned to their normal gold. The magenta stripes on his cheeks became smooth once again and he sighed before picking up the fax and making his way to the living room. The shadows clung to the walls and he sat down in the leather covered chair, his eyes rapidly scanning the document in his grasp.

He frowned as he put the document down, and then sighed again. He ran his hand through his long silver hair and put two fingers to the centre of his forehead, on his crescent moon. He was trying to ward his headache off.

He had been having that dream again. The one where _she _died. He grimaced and went to his kitchen. H pulled out a glass and ran it under the tap, then he downed the full glass and went back to his room to get dressed. He picked up the fax as he went past and walked to his room. Putting the fax down, he rummaged in his drawers until he pulled out the suitable clothing for the day.

The hanyou had been right then. He had said earlier in the week that he had felt like there was a case coming in. He supposed he now owed the hanyou 100 yen, and so, when he was dressed, Sesshoumaru stuffed his pocket with his wallet. He also picked up his two swords, Toukijin and Tenseiga. His fathers old sword pulsed faintly in his hand and he let his mouth curve into a familiar smile. Despite his earlier protests, he had always felt like he had a connection with the healing sword.

He pulled on his long black coat and made his way out of his penthouse. Running down the stairs, he stepped out of the lobby and into the outside. He gave the footman a cold nod, and then started to make his way to the station. He let his mind wander. He always felt in control with the outside, and now he was out.

INUYASHA

Sango and Miroku Houshi were in the middle of a very non-verbal battle when their fax machine went off. Sango was so surprised when she heard it that she fell out of bed with a loud _thump!_

"What the hell was that?" she exclaimed, rubbing her sore backside and glaring at her husband. Miroku pointed to the fax machine and Sango went over and scooped up the fax. Her face then turned from anger to joy.

"What is it Sango?" asked Miroku as he got out of the bed and went to stand beside his wife. Sango turned and threw his arms around her husband.

"We've got a job!" she squealed. She finally let him go and he too grinned at her before swooping down and capturing her in a kiss. They lasted for some time before their cat youkai, Kiara, came in. She mewled and jumped up onto the bed where she watched the couple kiss.

Miroku broke the kiss and smiled down at his wife. "Looks like we had better get dressed." he said and they both dove for their clothes. They hurriedly got dressed and ran out of the door of their apartment to the opposite house, just as their partner, Shippo, was coming out of his. Shippo lived with his own wife, Souten.

"Looks like we all have to go together." Shippo said, grinning. Miroku nodded and they all raced down the stairs of their block of flats. The flats were situated in the main town, not a nice a Sesshoumaru's, but not bad either. They could all afford the rent, with their pay.

Miroku had joined the police after a fire in his monestary had destroyed his family and killed his father. He had been a vengeful young man and he felt as if his life had just come to an end. When he had entered the training centre, he had been surprised to find two inuyoukai, or rather, one inuyoukai and one hanyou, and a young red haired fox demon, also attending with him. They had all quickly made friends, and with their help, he had got rid of the pain in his heart and also discovered his love of womanizing. That is, until Sango came into the picture.

Sango had been a young officer who had been transferred from departments because of her short and violent temper. She was a vicious woman, and the police had thought that the demon brothers would be able to handle her. They were right. But it was Miroku who had fallen in love with her. It was love at first sight, so far as he was concerned. With shrieks of "HENTAI!" running through the department, the others had thought that they would never get along. But they did, and they too were married.

Shippo was already married when he came to the force. Souten was the younger sister of Hiten and Manten, the Thunder Brothers, and Shippos closest friends. He had joined the force purely on a whim, and had loved every minute of it. When had had heard that Sango and Miroku needed an apartment, he had recommended his. And so they all lived in relative piece together.

INUYASHA

The man pushed himself up from the floor, and back down again. He did not allow himself to touch the floor but pushed himself back up again. He glanced at the fax machine and was disappointed to find the red light not flashing. He turned his head to the pale figure on the ratty sofa.

"Are you sure about this Kanna?" he asked as he pushed his black wavy hair out of his face and he stood up, whipping away the sweat with a worn out towel. The pale little girl did not even lift her head but said, "Yes. Calm down Naraku."

Naraku snorted and went to pour himself a glass of water. He glanced yet again at the fax machine and ran to where it was printing off a sheet of paper.

"Told you so." said Kanna with a hint of a smile. He turned, still scanning the page and patted her on the head.

"I need to get to the station. Do you mind if I drop you off at school early?"

"No." With that, she hopped off the sofa and made her way to her bedroom. Naraku smiled slightly after her and made his way to his own. He changed out of the sweaty gear and pulled on his own, rather worn clothes.

He stepped out of the room to find Kanna waiting for him with her school uniform and a packed lunch in her hand. He patted her on the head once and they both made their way out of the sordid building that was their home.

The others had always offered the last member of their group better accommodation, but Naraku Mizugumo had his pride and he always turned them down. He said that he would make his way by himself, and he was doing it, but slowly. Him and the girl walked in silence to her school, until they got to the front gate. Then he turned and dropped a kiss onto the young girls forehead. She smiled and made her way to the desolate school, leaving Naraku to make his way to the station.

Naraku had been a small crime boss. He had never done mass killings, but small murders and thefts. The called his group, The Spiders and they were the most efficient group in the whole of Tokyo. He had married the daughter of another boss, Kagura, out of love and they had spent many happy years together. That is, before she was shot down in one of the worst mass killings in Tokyo history.

Naraku had gone insane with grief, for he had not only lost his beloved wife, but he had also lost his unborn child. He had turned himself over to the authorities and he was serving time in prison before Sesshoumaru had gotten a hold of him. He had made a proposition. Naraku would work for them as a small spy, gathering word of the movements underground, and in return Sesshoumaru would give him pay. To seal the deal, Sesshoumaru had then given Naraku his sister-in-law, Kanna. She had been wandering the streets in despair, looking for Naraku. Naraku had taken her in, and they had lived together ever since. Naraku had turned out to be surprisingly good with children. That had been 2 years ago, and now Kanna was 10.

Naraku was what people called a fusion hanyou. He was made up of lots of different types of youkai, but his preferred type was spiders.

Naraku strolled down the street to the station, his piece of paper gripped tightly in his hand.

INUYASHA

Inuyasha sighed and handed Kagome a 50 yen note a Sesshoumaru strolled through the door. He made his way over to his desk and took off his coat, hanging over the back of his chair as he pulled out the paper and read it again.

"Well, good morning to you too." Inuyasha grumbled. Sesshoumaru merely nodded and went back to his paper.

Soon afterwards Miroku, Sango and Shippo came through the door, laughing and joking. After them came Naraku, who gave Inuyasha a weak smile before sinking down behind his desk and putting his head in his hands. Above all of the noise, Inuyasha could hear a car pull up and he knew who was in it.

"Oi, GUYS!" he yelled. "Kouga's here." The others looked at him and carried on chatting. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and made his way over to Sesshoumaru. His elder brother was still studying the paper with interest.

"What do you think?"

"Could be easy, but there is no knowing as to how he did it and why." Sesshoumaru said, finally looking up from the paper. Gold met gold as the brothers glanced across the room to find Kouga standing there with a smirk on his face.

Like a room full of school children, he waited for the room to notice his presence and to fall silent. When this happened, which took about 5 minutes, he chuckled, "Took you long enough."

"Get to the point, Kouga." Sesshoumaru said blandly. Kouga looked at him and nodded. He pulled out a sheet of paper that was the same as the ones they had all been sent.

"Right, as you can see, the girl is 7. She is called Suki Fuyu and she was kidnapped 5 days ago. We need all of you to find her and bring her back to her mother. Alive."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N This might be the last update in a while, so bare with me.**

**There is mention of rape, and I am upping the rating of this piece. For those with a sensitive disposition, do not read. For those without one, enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: All Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi.**

Chapter 2

"You speak as though we will not get her back alive." Naraku said, finally taking his head out of his hands and staring bleary eyed at the wolf demon.

"Don't worry. I'm only relaying the words that Kaede told me to say." All of them, except Sesshoumaru, hissed as they thought of the scary Chief of Police. She was weathered old women who had lost an eye, but could still strike fear into the hearts of the most toughened police men. She didn't faze Sesshoumaru because he was the only one who could stand up to her.

"No but seriously, you really must get this girl back alive. Her mother is a politician, and the reward is substantial."

At the mention of reward, the rest of the team sat up straighter. They all had bills to pay, and because of the lack of a case, they had no way to pay. In fact the one in the most danger of getting their apartment repossessed was Naraku, who was hanging on by the skin of his teeth and donations from the others.

"Anyway." said Kouga, bringing out a thick file from his jacket, "I will leave this with you. The case is in your hands now. Good luck and call me with the results." With that, he tossed the file to Inuyasha and strode out the door, letting it slam behind him. All those with sensitive hearing winced, but ignored it and went over to Inuyasha as he spread the file on the desk.

Sesshoumaru allowed his eyes to glance over the picture of the girl. She was smiling at the camera, her brown eyes were twinkling. She has black hair with strips of brown in it, and her face was round and appealing.

Sesshoumaru grimaced and turned away. She looked too much like _her_. Luckily for him, the others didn't notice.

"She has a pretty face." observed Miroku as he gently tapped the piece of paper that held the girls face. Her smile seemed to light up the room, and Naraku was reminded of Kanna. Kannas smile was like a night flower, rare but radiant. With an effort, he shook his head and listened to what Sesshoumaru was saying.

"… and we need to get this case. I need not remind everyone of what happened the last time we did a case, and I do _not_ want something like that to happen this time. So, Inuyasha and Kagome will be searching the police database for any leads that they might have concealed from us. Miroku and Sango will be ringing the relatives of the girl and will be asking for the usual things. Personality, likes, dislikes, the usual. And me, Naraku and Shippo will be going to that store to look for clues."

"But Sesshoumaru," interjected Shippo, even though he was already pulling on his coat, " the police have already swept the place. It says so in the report."

All he got was a curt "They don't have demons." before Sesshoumaru swept out of the door, followed by Naraku. Shippo glanced back to look at the others waving at him, before he shrugged and ran out of the door after them.

INUYASHA

In preparation to their arrival, the convenience store had already been tapped off and the store emptied. Sesshoumaru strode into the store, his golden eyes sweeping the area. Behind him, Naraku had his hands in his pockets, and his eyes were fixed on a point just above Sesshoumaru's shoulder. Shippo came in last, his long red hair tied up in a high ponytail. The owner of the store was cowering behind the counter, his bald pate shining with sweat. Sesshoumaru sniffed in disdain and moved to stand next to him.

"Are you the owner of this store?"

The man gulped and whimpered, "Yes."

"I am Takahashi Sesshoumaru, and these are my demons in charge, Mizugumo Naraku and Kitsune Shippo. We are the demons of the Dog Squad. We are here to investigate the disappearance of Fuyu Suki. She disappeared from your shop 5 days ago.

"We will conduct a search of the premises. Do not interfere." With those words, the three of them spread out and began searching the shop. Demon style.

INUYASHA

The girls huddled together for warmth. It was bitterly cold, and the chilly wind seeped through the gaps in the stone walls. Suki whipped the tears from the older girls face as she wept.

Earlier that day the man had come back in a drunken rage. He had swayed from side to side, shouting things that Suki had never heard in all of her young life. The man had grabbed both of them by the hair and had dragged them to a separate room. This room had reeked of fear. The man had chained young Suki to the wall and had forced her head up.

"I will show you what you are." the man had sneered. The sake fumes had nearly suffocated young Suki. She had gagged and pulled her head away. Then the man had made his way over to Rin.

"Come here you little whore." he had said. Rin had whimpered but come over to him. He had pushed a hand into her chest and with the other loosened his trousers. He had pulled down his pants and kneed the girl in the groin, separating her legs. The other hand was cruelly squeezing and pinching her breast, causing the girl to cry out in pain. The man had then grasped her hips and guided himself into her. Thrusting to a fast rhythm, he continued to whisper to Rin, calling her all sorts of names. The girl was crying in pain, but made no protest.

After the long while, the man had released, spilling his seed into the girl whilst grunting like a pig. He had released the girl, who had crawled to the side and was holding herself, shivering. Suki was too stunned to say anything. The man had laid on the filthy bed for a while, before coming over and releasing Suki from her chains.

"When you hit 10, you will be like her. Now get out!" he had said, kicking them both out of the door and down into their room again. Suki had helped the girl up and had wiped her down.

Now they both were huddled together, Rin praying for a swift demise, Suki praying to be rescued.

INUYASHA

For the past hour, they had combed the place, using any means possible. Eyes, ears and nose had come into play. All that had happened was Shippo getting a violent reaction to the industrial strength cleaner that the shop had used, and he had had to go outside for the time being. After all that they had done, they had nothing.

"I think it's a lost job here." said Naraku as he came out of the isle, shaking his dark head. Sesshoumaru glanced at him and nodded his head once. He had been feeling the same thing. He sighed mentally and went to the door.

"Naraku, come." he said.

"Wait a minute, I just need to but some ramen." He heard the jingling of yen in Narakus' pocket, and he knew that he had not eaten that morning. Sesshoumaru nodded and went to stand outside the door with Shippo.

Naraku wandered down the isle to the ramen section, his mouth watering with the thought of ramen. It was true, he had not eaten that morning, not for any of the week, opting to give his food to Kanna. He knew that money was desperate, and he would have to start asking again for money.

As he neared the ramen, his hold on his money slipped, and it went rolling down beneath the isles. "Kuso." he swore and he reached down to retrieve his money. His hand picked up the coins. As he put them into his pocket, he glimpsed something white among the coins. He picked it up.

It was a single white hair, dirty and matted.

Suddenly Naraku felt a thrill of excitement race through him. Grasping the hair in one hand, he pulled out a small clear plastic bottle and neatly placed the hair inside. He then screwed the lid back on and raced to the door.

"What, no ramen, Naraku? Your almost as bad as Inuyasha when it comes to ra…" Shippo trailed off when he saw Narakus face. "What's up?"

"This." said Naraku and he pulled the jar out of his pocket. The others leaned closer to the jar and then a small smile flitted across Shippos face.

"Oh yes." Naraku stuffed the jar back into his pocket and moved to the car. He climbed into the back a gestured his head to the other two.

"Shall we?"

INUYASHA

"No Fuyu-san, we have not given up on the search. Yes…yes we do have demons searching…yes…no thank you…goodbye." Sango hung up and groaned, putting her head into her hands. Without a word, Miroku refilled her cup of strong black coffee.

"Nothing?" he asked.

"Nope. All I got was another distraught relative, begging for me to solve the case. I couldn't get any information from them." Sango drank her coffee and slammed the cup back down in anger. "They just can't get the hint that we are trying all that we can!"

"Don't worry. I'm sure that something will turn up." Miroku said consolingly, rubbing a hand across her back. Sango turned to Inuyasha and Kagome, who were leaning engrossed over their computers, and called, "Anything yet?"

"No." sighed Kagome as she leaned back in her chair and ran a hand through her hair. Inuyasha was still frantically clicking away, but his expression of anger deepened as he continued to hit dead ends. "The only thing that we got was a report saying that the convenience store had been swept, and all that they had found was the little girls hair ribbon. No prints, no hairs…"

"Hold that thought!" yelled a voice from the door and a red and blue fox demon shot through to his desk. "Naraku wins the prize for the best discovery this month. He found this." Shippo brandished the single white hair in the clear plastic jar.

"Nice job Naraku." said Inuyasha with his eyebrows raised. The black haired hanyou quirked a smile and slid down to his desk, where he leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. Inuyasha looked at Kagome and she quickly went to the kitchen and made a cup of ramen. Returning, she placed this in front of Naraku, who wasted no time in eating it.

"Is that all you found?" asked Inuyasha as Sesshoumaru came through the door. Sesshoumaru ignored him and hung up his coat. Running his hands through his long silver hair, he sat down at his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a while, he sat up and said, "Yes."

"Well, let's not waste time grovelling over spilt milk. We need to DNA test this baby." Shippo exclaimed, waving the plastic bottle aloft and making his way to the built in lab that they had. Kagome went after him, to make sure that he didn't break anything, and also to test the hair. Whist Shippo may be a demon, he had no control over what he did, and was as energetic as a pup.

Inuyasha moved to his brother and sat in the desk. The older demon was holding his head in his hands and was breathing in deeply. Inuyasha put a hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong Sesshoumaru? You've been off ever since you saw the picture of the girl."

After a long while Sesshoumaru looked back up with dull eyes. "She looks like _her_."

Inuyasha groaned. "Sesshoumaru, it's been 5 years since she died. Shouldn't you get over it?"

Sesshoumaru stood up abruptly and went to the coffee machine. "I have." he said curtly over his shoulder as he got himself a coffee.

"No, you haven't."

"Leave me alone, Inuyasha. I need to be alone. I deserve to be alone."

"No, you don't" said Inuyasha quietly. "No one deserves to be alone."

Sesshoumaru didn't hear.

INUYASHA

A long while later, there were still no results from the DNA tests, and the others were getting testy waiting for the results.

"Haven't you got _anything_, Kagome?" yelled Inuyasha through the open doorway.

"Will you just wait?!" she yelled back, her hair in a tight bun.

"I suppose we have to." grumbled Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru glanced at him and then turned away. He too was sick of waiting, but he could curb his impatience better than Inuyasha. He glanced around at the rest of the group. Sango and Miroku were helping Kagome with the tests, Shippo was playing on his computer, and Naraku had actually fallen asleep at his desk. Sesshoumaru grimaced. The hanyou was going to become ill if he did not start eating again, and the last thing he needed was a team member down.

"Aha! We have result!" cried Kagome as she ran back into the room, holding a piece of paper aloft. Inuyasha snatched it from her hand and scanned it, which was in turn snatched from his own hand and read by Sesshoumaru. His frown deepened.

"What have we got?" asked Shippo as he sauntered over. Sesshoumaru laid the piece of paper on the desk and they all bent over it. Kagome read the information out loud.

"Chikushou Raimei, 457 years old, get this, a white inuyoukai. He's been prosecuted before, but only for minor offences. Public brawling and drunkenness. He is about 6 feet tall, has the yellow eyes and the white hair of an inuyoukai, and he has a white scar and his wrist. He's doesn't seem to have a depraved back ground, so I suppose he developed his love of drink later on."

"You missed out this." said Sesshoumaru, pointing to a small thing in the text. Kagome squinted and then exclaimed.

"Ok, so I missed that out. Also been prosecuted for downloading child pornography from the internet, but he was released on bail."

They all stood there, taking that last bit of information in. That was indeed a shock to them. If he had been persecuted for that, which meant the child's virtue might be in jeopardy.

"We have to move in, and fast." said Sesshoumaru, already moving to the coat stand and slipping on his black rain coat. The others moved to collect weapons and their own coats. Kagome slipped the paper into her pocket.

"Did you remember the address?" asked Inuyasha as they all made their way to the door.

Kagome nodded. "14 Black Water Lane." They all winced at the name. Black Water Lane was one of the most dangerous streets in downtown Tokyo. They had had many calls reporting shooting from there.

They all strode outside, their coats flapping. Naraku looked at the car, but Sesshoumaru shook his head. They all took this as a signal that they would be travelling in their own unique way.

Kagome got on Inuyasha's back. Kirara transformed into a giant fire cat and Sango and Miroku climbed onto hers. Shippo grimaced and transformed into a giant pink ball. He heard Inuyasha snigger at this, and he turned around and glared at the hanyou. Naraku allowed his purple miasma to form a cover over him, and he lifted into the air. Sesshoumaru transformed into a glowing blue light, and he sped away. The others followed him.

INUYASHA

They all arrived at the dingy alleyway within seconds of each other. Without saying a word, they had all decided to use guns rather than their own powers. This was to minimize the chance of the assailant getting killed. Sesshoumaru peered around the corner of the building and motioned with his hand. The others moved fore ward and they all ran to the door of the 14th door in the apartment. As they moved closer, the scent of unwashed bodies and sex got stronger, till all of the demons were fighting the reflex to gag.

But what shocked them the most was the silence. There was no noise coming from the apartment.

Sesshoumaru kicked the door down and immediately bent over, trying to breathe in through his mouth. Shippos eyes were watering and Inuyasha had clapped and handkerchief over his mouth. They all moved to the door of the kitchen.

Nothing.

Sesshoumaru frowned. There had to be something!

Suddenly a muffled bang, like body being thrown against the wall, made Kagome jump. With wide eyes, she motioned to the door that, presumably, led to the youkais sleeping quarters.

Sesshoumaru nodded and moved to the, ahead of the others. When he heard the sound of panting, he could stand it no more. He moved back and with one strong leg, kicked the door in.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N**** Thank you for all of my reviews. They are what keep me writing.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own them (sadly….)**

Chapter 2

Many years from now, when he would be awake at night, Sesshoumaru Takahashi would look back at the scene he witnessed, and he would wonder it there was anything more in the world that would infuriate him more.

The girl that they were looking for was chained to the wall, her mouth stopped by a grimy rag. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her face was streaked with tears. She looked up at them, and moved her head desperately to the man, making noises through the gag.

The man in question was on top of another girl, thrusting away and not paying attention to the demons which had entered the room. One of his hands was occupied with pinching the girls breast, whilst the other was holding the girls wrists above her head. The girl herself was looking at them with wide eyes, her mouth opened as if to scream, but she couldn't.

As Sesshoumaru gazed into her brown eyes, a feeling swept through him, and he felt his breath come short. Then his face hardened, and he marched over, shoving his 13-round semi-automatic into his shoulder holst, and he kicked the man squarely in the ribs.

Chikushou yelled as he felt his ribs breaking and tumbled off the futon, drawing himself out of the girl. The man covered himself up with his hands and glared up and the demon. Sesshoumaru heard the girl shuffle to the corner of the room.

"Who's you?" Chikushou slurred, his eyes having trouble focusing.

"My name is Takahashi Sesshoumaru. I am arresting you for kidnapping, the intention of rape and actual rape."

"You canno arrest me." slurred Chikushou, sitting up and doing up his trousers.

"Yes I can, and I am." With that, Sesshoumaru used his demon speed to speed up behind the man. He reached out to grab his arm, but the demon, despite being drunk, moved quickly to the door.

Of course, what he had not counted on was three others members of the Dog Squad being there, waiting for him. Shippo and Kagome were busy untying Suki from the wall, and they were coaxing the other girl to come with them, and Sango was outside, calling for backup and for Kouga to ring Suki's family. That left Miroku, Naraku and Inuyasha for Chikushou to contend with.

Chikushou raced to the door, but was floundered when Miroku launched himself on top of him. There was a brief scuffle, which ended up worse for Miroku. The demon managed to twist himself around and grab Miroku's right hand, which he twisted around. The juicy sound of bones cracking was heard, and Miroku cried out in pain. Chikushou sneered and made his way to the outside.

Naraku and Inuyasha literally jumped on top of him. He landed with a loud thump and immediately stared to fight back. It was a tough fight, with the two hanyous equally matching the strength of the single inuyoukai. But when Sesshoumaru joined in, there was no contest. After a short while, Chikushou was subdued and in handcuffs, whilst Naraku was nursing a broken nose, and Inuyasha was supporting a cut upper lip and a black eye.

Typical of all of this, Sesshoumaru emerged without a scratch.

They all sat there, breathing very hard. Naraku had a hand on his nose, and Inuyasha was gingerly feeling his eye, but both of them were gazing at Sesshoumaru, who was staring out of the room, into the room where Kagome and Shippo were tending to Miroku.

"Sesshoumbaru?" questioned Naraku, his voice coming out very stuffily from his broken nose.

"Hmmm?" Sesshoumaru asked, coming out of his daydream and looking at Naraku.

"Who do you think the other girl is?" asked Inuyasha, sparing Naraku the agony of speaking through his nose.

"I do not know."

"Ask her."

"She doesn't speak." said Kagome, coming into the room and wiping her bloody hands on a towel.

"How do you know?" Inuyasha asked her, standing up and coming to her side.

"Suki told me. All Suki knows about her is that her name is Rin."

"Rin, you say?" Sesshoumaru looked up, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Yeah. What about it?" Kagome sat down on the grimy sofa and leaned into Inuyashas embrace.

"Joufu Rin was what we call a doorstop snatch." explained Sesshoumaru, standing up and pacing, "She was taken 10 years ago, from outside her house. From the reports I read during my training, her mother had only left her outside for a minute, and when she came back, the child was gone."

"And you think that this is her?" Kagome raised an eyebrow.

"Possibly. The cases are similar. Rin was snatched when she was 7, as was Suki."

"Well, we know have the girl, and a name. I suggest that we get back to the station and _then_ find out who she is." Inuyasha said, standing up and stretching. He walked to the door with Naraku, who was still clutching his broken nose, and Kagome and Sesshoumaru went to the other room to take the girls away with them.

Suki could not stop crying, clutching Shippo's jacket and sobbing into the fabric. Shippo had picked her up and was waiting for them, his usual grinning visage replaced with a sombre one. Sesshoumaru drew near and Shippo whispered in his ear, "She's Ok. He was waiting until she was older. I'm not sure about the other one though."

They both cast a worried glance at the figure swathed in a blanket, who was leaning against the wall and looking at them with wide brown eyes. Again, Sesshoumaru felt a pull in his chest, and he went over and kneeled in front of the girl.

He looked into her eyes, and was shocked to find no emotion in them.

They were blank.

He reached out and touched the girl on her shoulder, but she flinched and moved away. He clenched his fist, and then spoke to her.

"My name is Takahashi Sesshoumaru. I have come to help you. However, I cannot help you if you won't let me."

The girl looked pale and frightened. She also looked thin and ill. But her face was wary. 'She's been through too much.' thought Sesshoumaru as he gazed at her. Then suddenly, she held out her hand.

Sesshoumaru looked at the hand, and then at her. Then, reaching out his own hand, he grasped her and pulled her towards him. He slid one arm around her back and one arm around her knees and hoisted her up into his arms. She fisted her hands into his jacket and sighed against him. As he lifted her up, he caught a whiff of her scent. She smelled like the man, but she smelled of something else.

Like flowers.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and started for the door, the small figure of the girl held in his arms.

INUYASHA

There was already a rather large crowd when they all arrived back at the station. TV cameras were pointing in their direction as they all touched down. Once the cameras had seen them, then the crowd surged fore ward, and reports frantically started to yell questions.

"Sesshoumaru, where did you find her?"

"Will the man be prosecuted and receive the penalty?"

"Will this impair youkai and human relations?"

"Who is the other girl?"

"SILENCE!" roared Sesshoumaru, holding the girl closer to his body. She was whimpering and clutching closer to his jacket.

"All questions will be answered at a later date. For now, will you please all get out of here."

With that he strode to the doors and pushed them open. They swung shut beside him and effectively shut out the noise. He entered the main office and found Suki being comforted by a black haired woman that could only be her mother. Both of them were crying with joy and the mother was thanking the others for their help.

"…thank you so much! I don't know how we can repay you! You have done so much for us!"

"There is no problem. All we did was our duty." Inuyasha replied, whilst Kagome handed the father a black coffee. The others were on the phone, to Kouga and Kaede. Naraku was sitting at his desk, his white haired ward, Kanna, perched at his side. Both were staring avidly at the computer screen as Naraku typed up the report. Chikushou was trussed up like a turkey in the corner, glaring at them all whilst they waited for the van to get here.

Sesshoumaru glanced at all of this and then made his way to the couch against the far wall. The girl in his arms had fallen asleep. He gently laid her upon the couch and paused to stroke her face and run his hands through her long black hair. The girl whimpered and clutched at his jacket tighter. He gently touched her fingers and untangled them. Then he took off his jacket and tucked it around the sleeping girl.

"Oi, Sesshoumaru, come over here would ya?" called Shippo, hanging up to whoever he was talking to and beckoning to the drinks machine.

"What do you want?" Sesshoumaru asked, extracting some yen from his pocket and slotting it into the machine to but a coffee. The machine hissed and started to spit.

"That girl. Did you smell her?"

"Yes."

"Did she smell like anything to you?"

"Yes. She smelled like flowers." Sesshoumaru picked up his coffee cup and began to sip it.

"Yeah, but did she smell like anything else?" prompted Shippo.

"No. Where is this leading to, Kitsune?"

"Maybe it's just my overwrought nerves and imagination, but I thought she smelled pregnant."

Sesshoumaru chocked on his coffee.

"You…what?" he chocked out, thumping himself in the chest.

"I seriously hope that you are joking with that one."

"Sesshoumaru, does this look like my joking face? I'm not joking, I think that the girl is pregnant with Chikushou's baby."

"Fan-bloody-tastic." Sesshoumaru growled, throwing his coffee into the bin and stalking over to Inuyasha. He grabbed the hanyou's arm and pulled him over to the inert figure of the girl.

"What the hell do you want, Sesshoumaru?"

"Smell her."

"What?!"

"Smell her. I need you to tell me if she is pregnant."

Inuyasha eyed Sesshoumaru and then leaned down to the girls level, sniffing gently. A worried look crossed his face and he stood back up. He nodded once to Sesshoumaru and stalked away.

Sesshoumaru glared at the hanyous retreating back and then he too leaned down to the girls level and sniffed. He smelled again the scent of flowers and the scent of the man, but underneath all of that, there was the heavier scent of an unborn being.

"Shit." he swore softly.

INUYASHA

Two separate vans turned up in the end. Inuyasha, Shippo and Naraku accompanied the van that was taking Chikushou to the police station, whilst Sesshoumaru, Kagome, Sango and Kanna were taking the two girls and Miroku to the hospital. The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the cramped conditions of the van. It ended up with Kanna sitting on Kagome's lap, with Suki sitting on Sango's'. The girl lay on the trolley, still asleep and Miroku sat on the edge, his hand swathed in bandages. Sesshoumaru sat opposite him, holding the girls hand.

He couldn't understand what compelled him to comfort the girl. She was nothing to him. She was only a girl that he rescued. She had no hold over him.

And yet…

Why did he feel as if he let her go, she would fall away from him?

Why did this affect him so much?

Involuntarily, his hand tightened on hers, causing her to wince slightly. Her eyes popped open and landed on his. He recoiled slightly at the plain fear in her eyes. That last time he had seen anyone that scared, he was looking into the face of Kanna as he picked her up from the street.

"Nearly there." said the man who was driving the ambulance, looking through the little slot in the back of the van. Sesshoumaru nodded and went back to staring out of the door, the girls hand still clutched tightly around his.

Just before they reached the hospital, the van slowed down to get to a stop outside the hospital. Suddenly the girl started to gasp. Her small chest heaved and she fought for air. At the same time, tears started to leak out of her eyes and she was making small noises in her throat. Sesshoumaru recognized, with a sinking heart, the symptoms of a delayed shock.

The doors were flung open and the men reached in and took out the trolley. The girl released his iron grip and was pushed into the hospital, still crying and panting. Someone took Suki from Sango and put her in a wheelchair, whilst another man led Miroku away to get his hand X-rayed and set. This left Kagome, Kanna and Sesshoumaru standing on the tarmac, with no clue about what they should do. Sesshoumaru looked at Kagome and raised an eyebrow. Kagome nodded and took Kanna by the hand.

"C'mon Kanna, lets go with the men and see Miroku." Kanna nodded and followed Kagome into the hospital, leaving Sesshoumaru to follow at his leisure. He strolled into the hospital, his silver head down. His frown had deepened and he kept thinking about the girl.

Who was she?

He realized that he had arrived at the reception desk when he heard a voice say "May I help you sir?" He looked up and found a woman staring transfixed at his hair. He frowned and drew her attention back to his face.

"Yes. I am looking for a girl that was brought in a few minutes ago. She was the second victim of the Chikushou case."

The girl checked on her computer, then looked up and gave his a blinding smile. "Yes, she's in room 14, floor 3. My name is Yura by the way."

"I don't care." he said and made his way over to the lift. He pressed the button for the third floor and waited, wishing that he could rip out that machine that was playing the god-dammed awful music. The lift dinged, and he stepped out and into the ward. He checked to door for number 14 and slowly pushed it open.

The girl was lying in bed, a drip attached to her arm and a doctor leaning over her. The doctor looked up and smiled at the demon who was standing in the doorway. He walked over and whispered "Hello, my name is Dr. Bankostu." Sesshoumaru nodded and moved his eyes to the girl.

"Ah yes. Well as you can probably guess, she went into shock and had now had a sedative put into her. She will need to be calmed down and kept under surveillance for the next few days, but I believe that she will make a full recovery. As for the child, it is growing well.

"How far is she along?" Sesshoumaru asked in a low voice, keeping his eyes on the girl.

"She is two months pregnant, which means that she should be ready to give birth in about four months, as inuyoukai pregnancies last for six months." the doctor finished, after consulting his notes.

Sesshoumaru nodded again and went to sit down beside the girl. He heard the door close and he allowed himself to take that hand of the girl.

What was she going to do? As for as he knew, she was alone. He had had Naraku research the girls files before they had left, and he had told Sesshoumaru that when the girl whom they believed to be Rin Joufu had been snatched, she woman who had claimed to be her mother was actually her aunt, and she had left the country two months after Rin had gone missing. Sesshoumaru felt rage swell deep in his stomach, and he suppressed it. He did not want to think what would happen to her.

He checked the board at the end of the girls bed and saw that a DNA test had indeed confirmed the girl to be Joufu Rin. He sat back down again and sighed.

It had been a long day, and it seemed that the day was never going to end.


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N Thank you for all of your lovely reviews. Now here is chapter 4!!!**

Chapter 4

Sesshoumaru was asleep in the chair when Inuyasha and Naraku came through the door. His head was dipped into his chest and he was breathing deeply. The girl was in a similar state, her back to them, as she too slept deeply.

Inuyasha smirked and went over to tapped Sesshoumaru on the shoulder. The demon jerked and woke up, his golden eyes shooting open. Inuyasha jerked his head, then walked out of the door. Sesshoumaru followed, closed the door behind him and leaned against it.

"Jerks in jail." said Inuyasha. Naraku was downing coffee like it was water, but he paused and nodded.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and rubbed his fingers against his temple. He could feel another headache coming on.

"How is the other girl?" asked Inuyasha, seeing that Sesshoumaru was getting very tired. It was now 3 in morning, and Sesshoumaru had not slept for 21 hours. Not that he needed a lot of sleep, but just the fact that this case had exhausted him.

"She is Joufu Rin, we know that know."

"There isn't an orphanage that will take her. They say that she is nearly 18, and that she will be an adult soon."

"What are you suggesting, Inuyasha?"

"Mine and Kagomes flat is too small." Inuyasha said, counting down the possibilities on his fingers. "Sango and Miroku can't take her, because their flat is too small. Shippo can't take her because he already has two little ones running around. And Naraku can't take her because his neighbourhood isn't right to raise a baby. No offence." he added over his shoulder to the hanyou. Naraku shrugged and went back to his 7th cup of coffee.

"No."

"Aww come on Sesshoumaru," whined Inuyasha, "you have the biggest place out of all of us."

"No. I can't look after her or the pup." Sesshoumaru opened the door and walked back into the room. He was greeted with the sight of soft brown eyes before they closed again and she turned away.

He sat down in the chair and looked at the girl. She was sobbing, her shoulders shaking. But she was silent, no noise coming from the small body.

He felt his heart squeeze again as he smelt her tears. He didn't know why, but when he smelled her tears, he felt as if he wanted to comfort her. But he couldn't allow himself to show weakness, so he did nothing.

"You can't ignore her." said Inuyasha from the doorway, where he was leaning against it, watching the two of them. Sesshoumaru sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He grimaced when he felt the greasiness in it. He needed to wash it again.

Sesshoumaru didn't answer. No, he couldn't ignore her. He wanted to, desperately, but his mind wouldn't allow him too. To abandon her, when she was young, and whelped at the same time, would be just awful. Sesshoumaru had always prided himself on being above emotion, the only one of their elite band who could detach himself totally from the situation.

So why wasn't he now?

It was since _she_ had died. They had never had a female case since them, always refusing them in case of Sesshoumaru's instability. This was the first case that they had accepted that had contained a female as the main part.

Unknown to him, his hand had reached out and had started to stroke the girls hair to calm her down. He came back to reality, and pulled his hand away. But a smaller hand came across his, and the girl sniffed again and looked up at him with big eyes. She turned around and curled her hand around his, holding it close to her heart. After a few moments stiffened in shock, Sesshoumaru allowed his hand to curl around hers.

"You cannot lie, Sesshoumaru. You do care about her." Inuyasha said quietly from the doorway. Sesshoumaru did not turn his head, he only continued to hold the girls hand as she wept. He heard the door open and close.

Sesshoumaru felt his eyelids droop as the weight if the last hour pressed on him. He allowed himself to put his head on the girls bed and sleep.

INUYASHA

The noise of the doctor bustling around woke Sesshoumaru up. He raised his head blearily from the bed and looked up to see Doctor Bankostu replacing the IV drip and checking the girls vitals. The girl herself was staring at the doctor with wide eyes, sipping some water. She caught the movement of Sesshoumaru and turned to him.

He sat up and looked at the girl. She had been in the hospital for 12 hours now, and she looked much better for it. Her hair was shiny and clean, she her face had lost the hollows in it. But her eyes remained haunted, and she couldn't stop trembling.

He patted her hand as the doctor exited the room. She calmed down long enough to put her water down and then she turned fully to him. Her eyes were wide, and tears started to fill them.

Sesshoumaru felt himself panic. Why was she always crying?

He thumbed her tears away and sat on the edge of her bed. She curled herself around his hand and sobbed. She was very upset for some reason, and yet somehow, Sesshoumaru could not tell whether these were tears of sadness or tears of joy.

"Why do you cry?" he whispered to her. The girl did not answer, but she rubbed her stomach. Or, more specifically, the bump.

"Are you upset about the baby?" he asked the lump that was the girl. There was a sudden upheaval of bedding and the girl looked up at him, shaking her head furiously.

"You are happy?" he looked surprised. He had thought she would have been devastated about carrying her rapists baby, but she seemed happy. The girl nodded her head and caressed her bump, not smiling, but her eyes content.

"Have," he asked cautiously, "have you been pregnant before?"

The girl gulped and nodded, her eyes slowly tearing up.

"What happened to them?"

The look in her eyes told him all he needed to know. They had died before she could carry them in term, all been aborted by the inuyoukai that had kept her captive. This would be the first one that she would carry and give birth too.

"Do you wish to keep the pup when you have birthed it?" he asked, as a matter of curiosity. The girl nodded again, her eyes fixed on the bump.

He was about to turn away and go out of the room to find Inuyasha, when he felt a hand catch his. He turned and found the girl holding his hand. Sesshoumaru frowned and sat down on the bed again.

"What do you want?" he whispered. The girl looked up at him and then, slowly, placed his hand on the bump.

Sesshoumaru jumped when his hand connected with silk covered warmth. He felt uncomfortable, but the girl did not let go of his hand, and he slowly relaxed his hand and let it cradle the small bump.

A flood of electricity spread up his arm and he almost gasped as he felt _something_ almost move against his hand. Unaware of what he was doing, he leaned closer to the girl, his other hand joining his first as they cradled the life in her. The thing wasn't moving, and yet he had felt something from the whelp.

"It's ok. It's all going to be ok." he whispered. He looked up at the girl and nodded, then he released her and moved to the door. He turned back, and saw that the girl was buried under the blankets and was breathing deeply, trying to get to sleep.

He found the hanyou sitting with Kagome and Miroku in the reception area. From what he gathered, Shippo had gone home, Naraku had gone to the main station to file the final report, and Sango had gone to Naraku's house and was babysitting Kanna.

Sesshoumaru sat down and nodded to Miroku's hand. The ex-monk lifted it up and said "They say that it will heal in a few days."

Sesshoumaru nodded and closed his eyes. He couldn't have one of his team out when there were probably cases to be solved the minute they got back to the station.

"How is the girl?" asked Kagome as she handed Inuyasha a cup of instant Ramen. The hanyou slurped it down, but kept one ear trained on the conversation.

"She is sleeping." Sesshoumaru said, not opening his eyes. He was still very tired.

"How…how is the baby?" Kagome asked tentatively.

"It is well. It grows quickly." Sesshoumaru related the information that Doctor Bankotsu had given him. He would not reveal the felling he had gotten when he had touched the baby.

"Is she keeping it?" asked Inuyasha.

"Yes." Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and looked at Inuyasha. He growled in inuyoukai language _"She has been pregnant before."_

"_How come we saw no other pups in the house?" _Inuyasha growled back. He had a feeling that he knew, but he just wanted to make sure.

"_The youkai aborted them before they could be born."_

"_Bastard._" Inuyasha growled, his face becoming dark as he glared into his Ramen cup.

"What is wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome inquired.

"Huh? Oh nothing Kagome." "_I will tell her later_."

"Where is the girl going to be staying?" Miroku asked, after quietly observing the two brothers.

"She is staying with me." Sesshoumaru said before Inuyasha could get a word in. Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and gave a triumphant smirk.

"In the penthouse?"

"Where else? I see no place where she can go."

"What if she finds out about S-"

"She _won't_!" Sesshoumaru snarled, turning nasty. He whirled around to Miroku and bared his teeth, his eyes flashing red. Miroku jumped and backed away.

"Easy Sesshoumaru. Calm down." Inuyasha placed a hand on his shoulder and sat him back down in his seat.

"Now, the girl will stay at Sesshoumaru's house, until when?" Inuyasha turned his head to Sesshoumaru, the question in his eyes. Sesshoumaru shrugged and sat back.

"Until she feels ready to leave. It is her choice."

"What if she is never ready to leave?" Miroku asked slyly.

"She will, someday. I have no doubt in that."

"Mr Takahashi?" asked an authoritive voice. Both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha said "Yes?" They looked up. Doctor Bankostu was standing in the corridor, looking at Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru nodded his head and allowed the man to continue.

"The girl will be ready to go home in a few days. She will need to come in for regular checkups, to look at how the pup is progressing. Also, I have signed her up to a psychiatrist, so she may begin speaking again. Who will she be staying with?" Bankotsu looked back and forth at the brothers.

"She will be staying with me." Sesshoumaru stood up and looked at the doctor.

Bankostu nodded and handed a card to Sesshoumaru. "This will be the person that she will need to go and see."

Sesshoumaru look at the card and saw the name Doctor Kaede on it. He stored it in his pocket and sat down again.

He heard footsteps walking away, and he squeezed the bridge of his nose. The situation was taking a turn for the worst, and he didn't like it. For the one matter, he couldn't see anyway that the girl 'Rin.' he reminded himself, was not going to find out about her. For another matter, he couldn't see himself looking after her _and_ the pup when the time came.

He heard Miroku murmur to Inuyasha and leave, then he felt a blanket pass over his shoulders and Inuyasha and Kagome leave.

'Thank Kami-sama.' he thought. He needed some time to be alone.

He couldn't stand not knowing what he was going to do. Normally, he was so sure of what he was going to do. He was calm, controlled and collected. He was Sesshoumaru, he was the eldest son of Inutaisho Takahashi.

So why was he so damn confused?

He couldn't get the image of the girl, lying prostrate under Chikushou out of his mind. He felt his anger stir, and he knew that he was going to become more angry if he didn't calm down. He unclenched his fists and breathed slowly.

Why did that thought make him so angry? She was a girl that was going to stay with him for a while, that was all.

But there was something there. Just a little thing that he had felt when he had first laid eyes on the little girl. A pulling in his chest, a sudden breathlessness.

It was just shock, he assured himself. It was just a shock to see another girl.

Sesshoumaru knew that he was lying to himself.

It wasn't shock.

Sesshoumaru growled and turned to the door. He needed to get home before he took complete leave of his senses.

INUYASHA

Sesshoumaru landed on the balcony and closed the door as he entered his apartment. He shook his head, and raindrops splattered on the carpet and the mahogany furniture. He chucked his coat onto a chair, and he walked over to a closet in his bedroom. He opened it, reached onto the top shelf and pulled down a cardboard box. Sesshoumaru walked over to the sofa and sat down slowly, staring at the box. He sighed, and opened it.

The old scent of freshly washed hair and spices wafted over his nose, and he felt the nostalgia creeping up on him. He reached inside and brushed his hand on the old hairbrush, that still contained the last few hair. Reaching deeper, he pulled out a photograph.

A younger, more carefree Sesshoumaru gazed upwards out of the frame, his arms wrapped around a smaller woman. The woman in turn was laughing at the camera, her smile sparkling in the sun.

It was his wedding day. And the young woman was his wife.

Sara.

They had met when Sesshoumaru had been drinking coffee in a restaurant, and Sara had split hot tea all down his trousers. What had followed was a huge argument, which had left both of them kicked out of the restaurant. They had both looked at each other, and laughed, and Sesshoumaru had invited Sara to his house, which he was sharing with his brother.

They had dated for 10 months before Sesshoumaru had proposed to her, on the beach under the stars.

They had married at a prestigious Shrine, and Inuyasha had been the best man. He was in the photograph, his tie already undone and his shirt hanging out. Sesshoumaru had worn traditional hakama and haori, whilst Sara had worn a Western style wedding dress, with a veil and white gloves. It had been the happiest day of their lives.

They had moved to the apartment that Sesshoumaru was in now, and had been overjoyed when, two years later, Sara had announced that she was pregnant. They had been very careful, wanting this to be and experience that they would remember, wanting nothing to go wrong.

But something did.

Sara had woken Sesshoumaru up in the middle of the night, complaining of pain in her 5th month. Sesshoumaru had called the ambulance and they had been rushed to hospital. On the way, it was becoming obvious that she was going into labour, and Sesshoumaru had called Inuyasha to come over with the girl he was protecting, the young prostitute Kagome. They had arrived at the hospital and Sara had been rushed in the delivery room, leaving Sesshoumaru pacing frantically.

After 12 hours, the doctor had come out. Sesshoumaru had jumped up and was about to speak, when the doctor held up a hand and said "_The baby was a stillborn_."

Sesshoumaru had felt his world drop out from under him. He had heard Inuyasha gasp behind him, but he only focused on the doctor.

"_What about my wife?_" he had asked.

The doctor looked at him pityingly and shook his head. Sesshoumaru had rushed into the room to find the nurses placing a white sheet over the cooling body of his wife. The baby was in an incubator beside her, the small body never moving.

The months that had followed were some of the worst in his life. He had sunk into a depression so deep, nothing seemed to rouse him out of it. Sara had been buried with their young son, and he had never visited the gravesite since their funeral.

For nearly a year, Sesshoumaru had wandered around, always doing his job, but never actually there. It had been only when Inuyasha announced that he was going to marry Kagome that he startled him out of his grief. He had felt joy for his brother, joy that he had not felt for a long time.

He let go. But not fully.

He still missed her. Still missed that shining smile and those ever clever hands, that laugh as they walked down the beach, and the tears she had shed when he had asked her to marry him.

Sesshoumaru startled himself out of his memories, only to realize that tears were trickling down his face. He placed the picture back in the box and put the box back into the closet. Then he went into the spare room.

It was time to get ready for another pregnant woman.


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N T****o those who reviewed, here is chapter 5. Thank you for all of these reviews.**

**For those of you who have read my other stories, you can see who their baby will be!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha**

Chapter 5

Kagome stared at the plastic slide in wonder. My God, so it really was true! She smiled through her tears and reached down to stroke her belly.

"Hello little one." she whispered as she sat down on the chair that they had placed in the bathroom.

She had been feeling off for days, ever since Inuyasha had come back from the nightclub he was at with Kouga. They had been celebrating Kouga's stag night, as the next week he was getting married to a beautiful wolf-youkai called Ayame. However, the wedding had been delayed due to the recent case, and so Kagome had not had time to go and get a test.

They had been trying for a baby for three years, but had never had any luck. They had even gone to a fertility treatment centre, but that had produced nothing. Slowly, Kagome was starting to accept that she may just be barren, when she had had this marvellous result.

A bang on the door and the swish of a coat startled her out of her thoughts, and she left the bathroom to find Inuyasha poking his head into the fridge, looking for a beer.

"How was Kaede?" asked Kagome, walking to the pan and stirring the stew that was bubbling in it.

Inuyasha shuddered and said "Neutral. She was glad that we finished the case, and our pay checks will be in our bank accounts before the week ends. My God, that woman gives me the creeps!"

Kagome nodded absently, ladling the stew into bowls and placing them at the table. They both sat down and Kagome slid the test discreetly to where Inuyasha chopsticks were. Inuyasha flopped down at the table and picked up his chopsticks, completely disregarding the test.

They ate in silence for a while, Kagome watching Inuyasha out of the corner of her eye, waiting for him to notice the test. Inuyasha continued to stare into his stew, and was oblivious to the test.

Finally Kagome had had enough of waiting for him to notice.

"Inuyasha."

"Hmmm?" he mumbled, his mouth full of stew.

"Look beside you." She said, never taking her eyes off of her bowl of stew. She felt her husband look down, and she felt him stiffen when he saw the test. She couldn't stand the silence anymore and peered up. Inuyasha had picked up the test and was looking at it with eyes as big as dinner plates. He was exceptionally pale, and his breath was irregular.

"Kagome…are…are you-?" he choked out, raising his golden eyes to hers. Kagome smiled through her tears and reached over to place his hand over her stomach.

"Yes Inuyasha," she whispered, "we're going to have a puppy." Inuyasha stood up and walked around to her side of the table. He then leaned down and sniffed at her belly.

"Oh Kami-sama, it's true." he croaked out. He wrapped his arms around her belly and nuzzled her. She felt his tears soak her through the shirt, and she stroked and tweaked his ears. He sat up and carried her to the bedroom.

When they had finished, Inuyasha cuddled Kagome and stroked her belly, not believing that life that it contained. Kagome hovered on the edge of sleep, when she heard "I am so lucky." She smiled and turned to him.

"Why is that, hanyou?" she teased, stroking his chest.

"I have a beautiful wife," here he kissed her, "and a pup waiting for me."

There was a contented silence, before Inuyasha sighed and said "We are luckier than Sango and Miroku."

"Why is that?"

Inuyasha sighed again and buried his nose into Kagomes hair. "Sango is infertile. She and Miroku can't have a baby."

Kagome gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. Inuyasha nodded sadly. "They were diagnosed a few months ago, and Miroku told me at Kouga's stag night. He was very drunk."

"How awful for them."

"Yeah. So that is why I am so glad that you are having a baby. Because I feel for the others, and I hoped that you would not be like Sango."

There was silence again, until Inuyasha turned over and bid Kagome good night. She lay awake, rubbing her stomach and thanking the Gods that made her pregnant.

INUYASHA

Rin looked much better when Sesshoumaru came to pick her up. Her cheeks had filled out and were rosy. Her hair had lost that greasy look and she seemed to be content. But her eyes were still haunted, and she did not smile. Sesshoumaru entered the room where she was being checked off, and she looked up at him. He turned his head away, not looking into her sad eyes, and watched as Doctor Bankotsu checked her vitals.

"All right, Mr Takahashi, she's all ready to go. If you would just wait outside whilst she changed…" Sesshoumaru nodded and walked out of the door. He heard a rustling just before he closed the door and knew that the girl was getting out of bed. He sat down on one of the hard plastic chairs and put his head in his hands.

He sat like that for a few minutes before the door opened and the girl came out. She was dressed in a blue t-shirt with a pink cardigan on top. The jeans allowed for some give, and her feet were encased in red pumps.

"Money will be put into your bank account for you to provide for her. We will expect you to bring her for check ups regularly." Doctor Bankotsu consulted his notes and then looked up at the demon. Sesshoumaru nodded and then Bankotsu put his hand on Rins shoulder. The girl started violently and Bankotsu took his hand off her shoulder.

"Off you go then. Have a good time Rin." With those words he walked away.

There was silence in the corridor, whilst the demon and the human looked at each other. Abruptly Sesshoumaru tore his gaze away and jerked his head to the exit.

"Come." he said. He moved down the corridor and he heard the girl walk behind him. He made his way down the stairs and moved to the car. He held the door open for the girl and he inhaled her fragrance when she went through. She still smelled of flowers. The girl looked up at him and he walked to the car.

He slid in and buckled up, all the while very aware of the girl. He revved up the car and they moved to the exit. They stayed in silence for a while, the girl looking out of the window, Sesshoumaru glancing at her out if the corner of his eye.

"You will be staying in my apartment with me, until you have the pup." he said. The girl nodded to show that she understood, never taking her eyes off the window.

"After that, you will have to look for accommodation."

The girl nodded again, and Sesshoumaru wondered at why she was staring so avidly out of the window. He decided not to ask her, instead opting for concentrating on the road.

They continued in silence until Sesshoumaru parked the car and got out. The girl also got out and followed him to the front steps. The footman gazed open mouthed at them. Sesshoumaru frowned at him, and the man shut his mouth and opened the door. Sesshoumaru stepped into the elevator and pressed the button to go to the top floor. He was followed quickly by the girl.

There was an awkward silence in the elevator, with Sesshoumaru looking hard at the numbers as they ascended, and with Rin looking at the floor. The elevator dinged, signalling that they could get out, and Sesshoumaru led that way to his apartment. He took out his keys, opened the door and led the way inside. Rin followed, gazing open mouthed at the beautiful pictures that adorned the walls and the cream leather upholstery.

"This is your room." he said and he opened a door. Rin gasped as she entered the room. She gazed around, taking in the blue Queen-sized bed with its satin blue sheets, the sizable wardrobe, the washbasin with a selection of soaps and shampoos, and the cot that sat snugly in the corner of the room. Rin frowned when she saw this and looked at Sesshoumaru. He too was staring at it, with a wistful expression on his face. He saw her looking and his face changed abruptly.

"Come." he said. He led her into a stylish kitchen with a black granite island in the middle of it.

"You may come in here if you are hungry. There is instant Ramen in the cupboard and fruit in the crisper. You may not cook, but I think that you can make yourself a sandwich until I get back from work on work days."

The girl nodded to show that she understood and she followed Sesshoumaru to the living room. It was a large 36'' Plasma television adorning one of the walls and cream leather armchairs. A wicker table sat in the middle, adorned with copies of yesterdays newspapers and a coffee mug. "You may watch television when I am not around, but you must not touch the table. It is very old."

He showed her the rest of the flat, pointing out what she could or could not do. They arrived back in the drawing room and Sesshoumaru turned to her.

"I suggest that you go to your room. I expect that you are tired." Rin had in fact yawned just then, and so she looked at Sesshoumaru and made her way to her room, shutting the door behind her.

Sesshoumaru crossed the foyer to his bedroom. He too closed the door, and went and sat down at his desk. He glanced over the paperwork and frowned. He still had to write a report on the arrest because he was the head of the Dog Squad. He opened his laptop, and then gazed at the screen, his fingers not even touching the keyboard.

He had not shown her his room, because he did not feel the need. The room was dark blue, with a portrait of Sara hanging on the wall. A door beside the window adjoined onto an on suite bathroom. The window opened onto a small balcony that oversaw the apartment gardens. The bed was also Queen-sized, with a white coverlet. His pelt acted as his pillow, since it was not fashionable nowadays to wear it anymore. But there was more than that.

His room was the last place that Sara had been in, before she had been rushed to hospital. It held sentimental memories that he could not share with her, not whilst she was in such a delicate condition. Also, he did not think that he could handle the thought of explaining what had happened to this girl.

He started to type, putting his account of what happened onto paper.

He was so deeply absorbed into what he was typing that he jumped when the sound of running water caught his ears. He opened his door and glanced down the hall to the bathroom. Steam was rising from under the door. The girl opened her door and moved across the hallway, a large blue towel wrapped around her body. She completely disregarded Sesshoumaru, who was standing by the door. She opened the door and went in. Sesshoumaru heard the lock turn behind her.

She would want a shower. He hadn't thought of that. She was covered in hospital chemicals, and he doubted that she had had a shower last night. He wondered if she knew how to use them, but he disregarded it. If she needed help, she would have to ask for it.

………………………………………………

It was late in the evening, and Sesshoumaru had too taken a shower. He was in the kitchen, cutting up vegetables and dressed in a loose blue shirt and a pair of grey tracksuit bottoms. He heard a shuffling and a soft slap on the tiles. He turned, and saw Rin standing in the kitchen, wearing a loose gown that the hospital had obviously given her. Her hair was drying slowly, and there were great bags under her eyes that betrayed her tiredness.

"Sit down. I will have your food ready in a minute." he said, turning back to the chopping board. He tipped the vegetables into the pan that save on the stove and emptied a bag on noodles into it, turning the stir-fry every so minutes to keep it from burning. He heard Rin slid onto a chair.

He took out a plate and tipped the contents of the pan into it. He placed this in front of the girl along with chopsticks and a glass of water. She picked up the chopsticks and held them too her eyes, frowning at them. Sesshoumaru glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was having trouble holding them. They kept slipping from her fingers and she grasped them. Her mouth was turning down in an unpleasant scowl as she tries again and again to hold onto her chopsticks.

"Let me help you."

Rin looked up in surprise and surrendered the chopsticks to him. He held them together, and then delicately took her hand. She flinched but relented, and he placed the chopsticks in them, arranging her fingers until she could grasp them securely. She moved them up and down, then picked up a mushroom and ate it. She continued to eat, occasionally stopping to drink her water.

Sesshoumaru sat down as well and sipped a glass of wine, reading the newspaper. He glanced at the girl occasionally out of the corner of his eye, watching her eat. Despite being a captive for 10 years, she ate delicately, with a neatness that was almost shocking.

She finished her meal and leant back in her seat, a content smile on her face as she slowly rubbed her belly. Suddenly, she yawned and looked at Sesshoumaru with glazed eyes.

"Go to bed. I will wash up." Sesshoumaru ordered her. She slowly slid off her stool and made her way to her bedroom. Sesshoumaru got up and took her plate to the sink. He washed it and put it in the rack to dry. He heard her door close and made his own way to his bedroom, not before turning off all the light.

…………………………………………………..

Sesshoumaru woke up slowly. The darkness penetrated to room, and he head to rub his eyes a few times to rub the sleep out of them. He strained his ears, trying to find out what had awakened him.

There it was again. A soft cry along the corridor.

Sesshoumaru got up and put on a silk dressing gown to cover his nude body. He opened his door and stuck his head out. The cry came again, stronger. Sesshoumaru frowned and made his way along the corridor to the girls bedroom. He paused outside the door and listened again.

There was a sound of rustling and a soft thump. The smell of tears assaulted his nostrils and he wrinkled his nose. Obviously, the girl was having a nightmare. Sesshoumaru softly opened the door and peered in.

Rin was lying flat on her back, her nightgown hiked up to expose her slender thighs. Her legs were open, and she had bent them at the knees. Sesshoumaru quickly averted his gaze and looked at the girls face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks from closed eyelids and she was crying out, but no sound escaped her throat. She appeared to be terrified, and she was shaking her head from side to side, trying to force the images out of her head.

In an instant Sesshoumaru had made his way across the room and was standing by the bed, gazing down at the girl. He didn't know what to do. When Sara had had a nightmare, he had always held her until she had calmed down, and they had usually gone back to sleep entwined in each others limbs, their breath mingling. But he could not do that with this girl. She was a stranger.

"Wake up." he said to her. She continued to toss her head from side to side, ignoring him. He repeated it louder, but she continued to ignore him. Sesshoumaru roughly grabbed her arm and shook her.

Rins eyes shot open and she sat bolt upright, gasping for breath. She fumbled for her nightdress and drew it down. Then she turned to Sesshoumaru.

"You were having a nightmare." he explained to her quietly. She nodded her head and sniffed, trying to clear her nose. Sesshoumaru handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose.

"Will you be alright on your own?" he asked. He did not know what compelled him to say it, but he did. He felt it was right to inquire after her.

Rin nodded again and lay down. She continued to face him, and for whatever reason, he stayed until her breathing eased and she slipped back into sleep. Sesshoumaru reached out and hand and lightly stroked her hair, before her realised what he was doing and her jerked back his hand.

He left the room, closing the door behind him and making his way to his room. Shutting the door, he shed his gown and sat on his bed. The moonlight filtered into the room, shining across the floor.

The hospital hadn't mentioned that she had nightmares. If they did, he might had been better prepared for it. He felt a flash of irritation and clenched his fist. A small pain altered him and he opened his hand to find small puncture marks from his claws. He raised his hand to his face and licked the blood away, sliding underneath the sheets and turning onto his side.

He did not know what he was going to do with the girl. He could not allow himself to become attached to her, it was against his principles. He had had enough disappointment in his life, and she was going to leave soon. Sesshoumaru fell asleep, with the smell of Rins tears still in his mind.


End file.
